Method and apparatus for treating liquid waste

Abstract

An apparatus for treating liquid waste includes a vessel, an AC plasma torch mounted with the vessel, and at least one nozzle mounted in the vessel. The nozzle is positioned so that liquid waste introduced through the nozzle into the vessel will be sprayed into or above a flame emitted by the AC plasma torch. Liquid waste is atomized by the nozzle and sprayed into the flame. The energy from the flame causes the organic portion of the atomized liquid waste to gasify and dissociate into elemental components. This dissociation destroys any hazardous or toxic constituency of the waste material.

1 . An apparatus for treating liquid waste comprising: 
 (a) a vessel;    (b) an AC plasma torch mounted with the vessel; and    (c) at least one nozzle mounted in the vessel, wherein the nozzle is positioned in the vessel to introduce liquid waste into or above a flame emitted by the AC plasma torch.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle is an air-atomizing spray nozzle.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 2  wherein the flame has a temperature exceeding about 6000° C.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 3  wherein the flame heats the vessel to a temperature of about 1370° C. to about 1950° C.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 4  wherein AC plasma torch has a body, and the body of the AC plasma torch does not penetrate the vessel.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 5  wherein the nozzle is positioned to introduce the liquid waste into the zone of highest energy in the flame.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 (a) a feeding system connected to the nozzle;    (b) at least one injector mounted in the vessel;    (c) an oxidant supply system connected to the injector; and    (d) a drain disposed within the vessel.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 (a) an ejector-venturi scrubber connected with the vessel;    (b) a collecting tank connected with the ejector-venturi scrubber; and    (c) a absorber connected with the collecting tank.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 (a) a thermal oxidizer system connected with the absorber comprising a thermal stack, an exhaust pipe, and a burner.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 (a) an energy recovery system connected with the absorber.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for treating liquid waste of  claim 7  wherein the feeding system comprises a container, piping interconnecting the container and the nozzle, and a flow control system connected with the piping.  
     
     
         12 . A method for treating liquid waste comprising: 
 (a) providing an AC plasma torch;    (b) providing liquid waste;    (c) atomizing the liquid waste;    (d) generating a plasma flame with the AC plasma torch; and    (e) introducing the atomized liquid waste into or above the flame.    
     
     
         13 . The method for treating liquid waste of  claim 12  wherein the liquid waste comprises hazardous solvent waste.  
     
     
         14 . The method for treating liquid waste of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 (a) dissociating the organic molecules of the gasified liquid waste into elemental components;    (b) gasifying the atomized liquid waste; and    (c) reforming the elemental components as carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas.    
     
     
         15 . The method for treating liquid waste of  claim 14  wherein the step of dissociating the organic molecules destroys the hazardous constituency of the organic portion of the liquid waste and is accomplished through pyrolysis of the liquid waste.  
     
     
         16 . The method for treating liquid waste of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 (a) providing oxygen; and    (b) combining the oxygen with the elemental components to form carbon dioxide gas.    
     
     
         17 . The method for treating liquid waste of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 (a) cooling the carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas from a temperature of between about 1250° C. and 1350° C. to between about 40° C. and 80° C.;    (b) removing carbon particulate from the carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas; and    (c) separating any acid gases from the carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas.    
     
     
         18 . A method for treating hazardous solvent waste comprising: 
 (a) providing a first source of hazardous liquid solvent waste;    (b) providing a first nozzle;    (c) providing an AC plasma torch;    (d) generating a flame from the torch; and    (e) injecting the solvent waste from the first source through the first nozzle directly into the flame.    
     
     
         19 . The method for treating hazardous solvent waste of  claim 18  further comprising: 
 (a) providing a second source of hazardous liquid solvent waste;    (b) providing a second nozzle; and    (c) injecting the solvent waste from the second source through the second nozzle directly into the flame.    
     
     
         20 . The method for treating hazardous solvent waste of  claim 19  wherein the solvent waste from the first source and the solvent waste from the second source are injected through the respective nozzles in an alternating manner.